Easy Lover Hanover visited the winner's enclosure for the fifth-consecutive occasion as he held off all late challenges to take the $34,000 Preferred Pace at Woodbine Mohawk Park on Saturday, Dec. 22. Driver Louis-Philippe Roy also drove winners on the card, three for conditioner Richard Moreau.
In the feature, driver Doug McNair sent odds-on favourite Easy Lover Hanover to the top and cleared from Nocturnal Bluechip following a :28 opening quarter. Unchallenged to a :57.1 half, Easy Lover Hanover faced first-over pressure from Regal Son rounding the final turn while Isitfridayyet followed second over.
The Ben Wallace trainee continued to lead as Regal Son raced three-quarter lengths off the lead by a 1:25.4 third quarter. Regal Son soon retreated into the stretch while Easy Lover Hanover encountered late attacks from Isitfridayyet lunging off cover and Nocturnal Bluechip splitting rivals late. The Ben Wallace-trained Somebeachsomewhere gelding maintained control to the wire, winning by a half-length in 1:52.4. Nocturnal Bluechip finished second and Isitfridayyet settled for third.
Winning his ninth race from 27 starts this season and his 34th from 84 overall, Easy Lover Hanover now has $810,449 earned. Brad Grant owns the five-year-old who paid $3.80 to win.
Louis-Philippe Roy, within the first six races on the 10-race card, steered five winners. He swept the double with Sand Artist ($6.50) and Richard Moreau-trainee Fashiononthebeach ($3.80) and then, starting with race four, scored a natural hat trick. Roy piloted Moreau pupils American Wiggle ($8.80) and Brave World ($6.20) to wins and then steered Foiled Again ($3.70) to victory in his final start on Canadian soil.
The Saturday nightcap included a forced payout to the Jackpot Hi-5, which carried over $350,000 into the mandatory-payout pool. Heza Thrill N and driver Bob McClure sat far off a quick tempo set by Ideal Jet before swooping the field and heading to a three-and-a-quarter length win in 1:51.4. East End also rallied from far off the pace to take second with Champagne Phil, off a pocket trip, finishing third ahead of (6) Mckinney and (12) Shades Of Bay dead-heating for fourth.
Over $600,000 in new monies brewed into the pool. With the dead-heat for fourth, two combinations returned dividends. The 5-8-1-6-12 ticket paid $33,753.05 for $1 while the 5-8-1-6-12 combo paid $40,583.30.
To view Saturday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Saturday Results - Woodbine Mohawk Park.